


Team Meeting: Year 0

by anonymousAlchemist



Series: ephemera [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, and this wasnt gonna be two months, ie detailing the first time the ipre crew realized that things were very wrong, this was going to be....a lot longer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-06 10:31:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11598795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymousAlchemist/pseuds/anonymousAlchemist
Summary: The Starblaster's crew has arrived in orbit around a strange planet, after bursting through the planes and evading an entity that seemed hell-bent on destroying their world. This journey was supposed to be a two-month research mission.  Some reassessment of goals and priorities is in order.This is a transcript of the Starblaster crew's first team meeting.A sequel to [DECLASSIFIED] Interview Transcripts, Starblaster Mission





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> told you i was kicking a sequel around. 
> 
> you can read this without reading the first fic, but I highly recommend reading the first fic in this series for the sake of continuity!

Captain Davenport glances over his shoulder at the rest of the crew standing behind him, braced against the railings. They're silhouetted against the darkness of space and the bright light of the engine, tension radiating from their forms. He purposely unclenches his hands from where they're been white-knuckle gripped on the helm. 

"Okay. I think we're out of...whatever that was. I've put the ship on autopilot for now. Where's Barry?" 

Taako shrugs. "Nerdboy said he wanted to check on the engine." He's holding Lup's hand tightly, like he's afraid she's going to be flung away from him by some unseen force. Davenport nods. His brow is furrowed. 

"Someone go grab him. Time for a team meeting. Regroup here in ten minutes — I don't want to leave the helm untended, in case that _thing_ comes back." 

"I'll go find him," Magnus volunteers. Lucretia shakes her head. 

"You don't know the ship's layout. I'll go get him."

"I could totally find him," Magnus says, but sits down on the deck. Lucretia walks away. 

As she leaves, she overhears Merle casting Healing Hands on Magnus's black eye, and the Taako twins chattering as they peel off to go belowdecks. She wonders what they're getting. 

Barry's silhouette grows into focus as she approaches theback of the deck. He's crouched over one of the magneto-magic connectors that keep the engine latched onto the ship. He looks up at Lucretia as she approaches. They're both squinting. The engine is very bright. 

"Looks alright, at least," he says, rubbing his eyes. "What _happened?"_

Lucretia holds out her hand to pull him up. "That's what we have to figure out, I guess." 

He takes it, and she levers him up. "Fuckin _hells_ , 'Creesh. First day out and already..." 

"Yeah," Lucretia says, and laughs. Her voice cracks, a little bit. "Gods! Can we even get back? Where _are_ we?" 

"I don't know," Barry says. He brushes nonexistent dirt off of his jeans. 'You doing okay?" 

"I'm fine," Lucretia says. "The captain called a team meeting on the bridge, right now." 

"Okay. Let's go."

When they return, the rest of the crew — sans the Taaco twins — are sitting on the bridge. Lucretia notices that Magnus's black eye is gone. Merle is lying face-up next to him, staring at the sky. Davenport nods at the two of them. He's using the helm as a backrest. 

"Everything alright?" 

"Engine's fine," Barry says. "Where are we? It doesn't look anything like what our models projected." 

Davenport shakes his head. 

"Let's talk once everyone's here." 

"Okay," Barry says, and sits down next to the captain. Lucretia gingerly sits down next to Magnus, rearranging her skirts. He smiles at her. "How's my face look?" 

"Better," she says. "Where'd the twins go?" 

"They said they were gonna get some stuff," Merle answers without getting up. "Not sure what they meant." 

"Oh," Lucretia says. 

Just hours ago, they were waving goodbye to the people back at the Institute. Lucretia had hugged her mother even though they had a tremendous fight two days before — Admiral Nelson still so vehemently against her only daughter going on the mission. She had said goodbye to her few friends from TSU, hugs and "I'll miss you's" all around. What's happened to them? The population of their planet is seven billion people, give or take a few million. 

"Do you think everyone back on-planet is—" She cuts herself off. "Nevermind." 

Magnus's face falls. He looks down at his shoes. They're the same ones he had been wearing last night. He shrugs. That's an answer therein of itself. 

"It's probably too soon to speculate," Barry says. "We don't even know what happened." He's polishing his glasses with the hem of his shirt. His hands are unsteady. 

"I suppose so," Lucretia says, and pulls a notebook out of her pack. 

They sit quietly. Merle and Barry start discussing just where they might be. Davenport interjects the conversation, and Magnus fiddles with his sunglasses. Lucretia opens her notebook, closes it, opens it again. She doesn't want to waste paper by doodling. 

Soon, the Taaco twins come ambling back. Lup's arms are filled with gadgets and small pieces of machinery, and Taako is carrying a tray. 

"We brought up a bunch of magic technical junk, cause we should take some readings, probably —" 

"— and also drinks cause fuckit, why not. After all that, we deserve it." 

"Good thinking," Davenport says. 

"Thanks, Cap," Taako says smugly, and sets the tray down. Lup drops the machinery unceremoniously in front of her as she sits down, and immediately starts fiddling with a small lense. Barry leans over to grab a meter, and Lucretia scans the set of objects. Nothing she's particularly good at using, and anyway, she has to take notes. Magnus slides her a cup. 

"Thanks," she says, and picks it up. 

Lucretia takes a cautious sip. The drink is warm and tastes like cinnamon and spice and fruit and underneath, the sting of alcohol. 

"Oh!" Magnus says, after he takes a long swallow. "Hey, these are spiked." 

"Thought we could all use it," Lup says, staring at Davenport as if challenging him to say otherwise. Alcohol during "work" time is technically against regulations. Davenport shakes his head. 

"I think that breaking IPRE protocol is the least of our worries, right now." 

He claps his hands together. Everyone turns to face him, the small conversations that had picked up petering out. Davenport is surprisingly imposing for his height, and considering the fact that he's sitting cross-legged on the floor. Well, they're all sitting on the floor.

"Alright. Now that we're all here, we need to talk about whatthe _hell_ just happened," Davenport says firmly. 

"I'll take minutes," Lucretia says, and opens her notebook. 


	2. Team meeting #1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Transcriber's note: Um. there was a lot of crosstalk during the meeting and it was kind of hard to document it while I was talking, too. This may not be readable. Sorry.
> 
> Gods I don't even know why I'm writing this down, who's going to read it? Us?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im getting such homestuck vibes from the naming schemes here, my dudes.
> 
> people talk for 5 million words and dont decide anything: the fic
> 
> holy shit dialogue between 7 people is a trip my guys an absolute trip

_Transcriber's note: Um. there was a lot of crosstalk during the meeting and it was kind of hard to document it while I was talking, too. This may not be readable. Sorry._

_Gods I don't even know why I'm writing this down, who's going to read it? Us?_

CD: Okay. So. We all saw that thing, right? 

_General nods all around._

MB: What _was_ that? It was like, uh, kind of like, if a storm and an octopus had a baby? Is this a magic thing? Because I'm just here to punch stuff. 

_TT shakes his head emphatically._

TT: No-o way, m'dude. Or at least its not my area, like, at all. Didn't it have eyes? A bunch of eyes? 

LN: Um. It ate our planet, Taako. I think whether it had eyes or not is sort of a moot point. 

TT: Okay, but it definitely had eyes, and that means, uh, it's probably sentient? Or alive, at least? That's pretty, that's pretty fucked up.

LT: Y'know, I know I said I was done with our world, but I didn't mean that as an invitation for some sorta cosmic octopus to _vore_ it. 

_TT and MH laugh a little. BB turns to LT._

BB: [Emphatically] How can you joke about this? Everyone we know could be dead! 

_Silence. LT stares at BB. She bites her lip and looks down at her hands, and then back up._

LT: Well, fuck, my guy, it's either make fun of the thing or scream, y'know? And I'm all out of screaming. 

_LT pauses._

LT: Like _fuck!_ This whole thing sucks major ass! 

_BB takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes._

BB: ...Sorry, Lup. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just. Really worried. 

LT: [Sighs] It's okay, Bee-jay. I shouldn't've made the goof. I'm worried too. 

MB: What if everyone we know really _is_ dead? 

_Silence. Everyone sort of avoids looking at everyone else. MB sniffs. MH takes a long sip of his drink. CD pinches the skin between his eyebrows._

CD: We can't know anything for sure. There's no evidence other than, other than what we saw, and what we saw wasn't anything understandable. There's no point thinking about what happened to our planet until we have more data. 

MH: And what we saw was our planet getting eaten. 

LN: We're talking about _eaten_ but only metaphorically, we don't _know_ what happened to it. It looked more like it was getting...absorbed? 

MB: _Abvored._ Sorry. Had to.

MH: I think the question now is "how are we going to find out what happened." 

BB: We should have been taking readings, or something. That's on me. I should have thought about that.

_LT pats BB on the arm._

LT: Don't beat yourself up about it, m'dude, I don't think any of us were thinking about it. 

MB: So. Where are we now? 

CD: [Sighs] _Well_ , as your pilot and captain, I hate to say this, but I have no idea. 

TT: We're deffo not in one of the other planes, then? 

LT: Didn't you see? All the other planes got _swallowed._

MH: Cap, have you tried, um, flying back to the plane where we came from? 

CD: Are you asking if we can get back? 

MH: Yeah. Now I'm not saying that ol' Merle has all the answers, but that seems like it should be our first priority. You know, checkin' on the old homestead now that things have gone weird. 

_CD frowns. He looks uncertain for the first time during this meeting. Before now he's been watching the rest of us discuss with a surprising amount of patience._

CD: I tried. Um. I don't think we can. 

_A pause. and then, just. A lot of yelling, and gesturing, and people getting worked up. I, uh, didn't manage to get any of this because I was also shouting. In my defense this whole situation was, to put it lightly, very upsetting. MB spills his drink._

_CD eventually stands up and waves his arms around. It's not very effective._

CD: Guys! Please. 

_CD shouts a little more along the lines of "Everyone quiet down!" and "This isn't helping!" and eventually everyone quiets._

CD: Thank you. As I was saying, I don't think we can go back. You all felt space get...um. Jiggly, right? When we cut through the space where we saw the planes, to here. 

_Nods all around. BB shivers._

CD: As soon as we burst through, I tried to turn us around to our previous coordinates. But space didn't change. It felt like what had been a liquid had turned solid, if that analogy makes sense. You didn't feel the shift again, did you? 

_Heads shake from side to side. CD runs a hand through his hair._

MH: Go on. 

CD: Whatever anomaly let us get through to...wherever we are, it doesn't seem like it wants to let us return. It's as if space decided to spit us out here, wherever here is. 

LN: You're anthropomorphizing what happened, captain. 

CD: I'm just trying to explain it in terms that make sense, considering how nonsensical the experience was. 

BB: No, it makes sense. it's consistent with the passive data that this — 

_BB holds up one of the sensors that Lup had brought up._

BB: — was gathering. At least from a cursory glance. 

_LT frowns and takes the sensor from BB. She presses a couple of buttons and looks up at the rest of us._

LT: Yeah, this shit's _weird._ If I didn't know better, I'd say it's malfunctioning. 

BB: It's not, though, right? 

LT: Nope. 

CD: I don't think we can go back. I think that, well, if we want to, we could go _forward,_ but we'd be in the exact same situation we were in now. That is to say, in the middle of nowhere. 

LN: Barry, do you think this has something to do with the bond engine? 

BB: I, uh. Don't think so? But this is the first time we're using the engine. I'm not even sure how it _works._

_BB hesitates. Takes a drink. Turns to CD and me._

BB: What if it's the engine was which made that, that black thing attack? It only appeared after we took off. Maybe us taking off was a signal for it, or some sort of homing beacon? 

LN: What are we going to do if it comes back? 

_Silence._

CD: Like I said. I think it's a little too premature to come up with conclusive countermeasures. But we need to be on the alert, and we do need to prepare for it. 

LN: How do we prepare for _that_? 

MH: Maybe we fortify the ship's defenses? Lucretia, if you could strengthen the wards, maybe that would help. 

LN: Of course. But would that be enough? What about if it tries to attack the planet? 

MH: Well. We could ward the planet? 

LN: We cannot ward the planet. 

CD: The amount of energy it would take...

_CD pauses, shakes his head._

MB: Say, not to change the subject, but speaking of weird things that the engine might have done, what was the vibration thing? You know, the thing where it felt like you were getting ripped apart and put back together. That whole thing. 

LN: Wow, nothing phases you, does it? 

MB: [Laughs] Oh, make no mistake. I'm fucking terrified. 

LT: Oh shit, you know what it felt like? 

_LT starts hitting TT on the arm. TT looks annoyed._

LT: It felt like the thing! 

TT: What thing? 

LT: You know, the thing! That thing you did, you know, the transmutation thing! 

TT: Oh-h, the thing. Yeah. Huh! Yeah, it felt like the thing. 

CD: What is "the thing?" 

_LT turns to CD._

LT: It kinda felt like when Taako uses transmutation magic on biological material. 

TT: Yeah. That whole getting ripped apart and reconstituted? A classic transmutation thing, deffo. 

CD: Taako, are you saying that we were transmuted across the planes? 

_TT shrugs._

TT: It felt similar, but it didn't have any of the other markers of transmutation, you feel me? But yeah. Maybe? 

BB: ...Actually, the energy output measured was more consistent with a largescale necromancy operation. 

MB: Are you saying we're undead? 

BB: Most definitely not! Uh. Probably not. Just that, uh, it's of a similar energy level, and uh, Taako, I think it's a little premature to call it transmutation. 

MH: It reminded me of the tingling when I cast spells using Pan's power. 

LN: It felt like a really strong version of when I cast mage armor. 

MB: Er. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you're all saying that it felt like the type of magic that you specialize in. 

BB: Yup. 

MB: So it could be any of them. Or all of them. 

BB: ...Yup. 

_TT crosses his arms._

TT: Well, great. So, so, so what we know boils down to "we don't know anything," if I'm interpreting this right? Real good work all around. 

CD: Enough, Taako. Moving on from what happened to us, what do you all think we should do? I'm opening the floor to suggestions. 

BB: Well, we're somewhere, right? Like that's definitely a planet. As a scientist, I can definitely confirm that's probably a planet. 

TT: Gee, real good observation, Barry. 

BB: Um, can you knock it off for a bit? The sarcasm is starting to get to me. 

LT: 'Ko, stop being a dick. 

TT: Who said I was being a dick! 

LT: I did! You're being a dick! 

TT: Well you were being a dick earlier!

LT: Yeah, and I apologized! 

TT: Well. Okay, yeah, you did. That's fair. 

TT: ...

TT: I'm not apologizing though, I did absolutely nothing wrong. 

LT: Taako! 

TT: Okay! Sorry, geez. 

_TT raises his hands in the classic gesture of surrender as LT glares at him. They both notice me writing down their exchange and LT starts trying to take my journal._

LT: Hey, stop writing our conversation down! 

LN: You're arguing during the meeting! It's for posterity! Stop trying to grab my book! 

TT: Who's gonna read it? 

_LN holds the book further out of reach. LT grabs at it._

LN: We don't know yet, I guess. Maybe it'll be good to have, later. Seriously, stop it! 

LT: No, c'mon, give it. 

TT: Maybe don't write down _private conversations,_ Luce. 

LN: Then don't have your private conversations during public meetings! 

_CD plucks the book from LN's hands._

LN: Hey!

LT: Captain! 

CD: Focus, team. 

LN: ...Sorry, Captain. 

LT: ...

CD: Lucretia, not everything has to be archived. Taako and Lup, keep personal conversations out of the general discussion. [Mutters] Some of the greatest minds of their generation...

_CD hands the book back to LN. I open it again, and glare at the twins. LT sticks her tongue out at me, but also shoots a prestidigitation illusion of the word "sorry" from her index finger. I shoot back "it's alright," and she smiles._

BB: Okay, back on topic. Maybe we should start by finding out more about that. 

_BB gestures to the planet looming beside us. CD nods._

CD: That sounds like a very reasonable short-term goal. We'll spend the next few days in orbit, and Barry, Lup, and Taako, I want you to take as many readings and observations as possible. I'll disguise the ship so that it's camouflaged from below. 

[In accidental unison] 

BB: Sure, Captain. 

LT: You got it, Cap. 

TT: Hell yeah. 

CD: Great. And Lucretia, you and Merle should go over the shielding on the ship, make sure that it's as sturdy as possible. Magnus, make a list of what defenses we have, and what else we might need to make or acquire. 

MB: Yessir, Cap'nport. 

LN: Okay. 

MH: Okie-dokie, Cap. 

CD: Great. Let's plan to land in approximately three days, depending on how long diagnostics take. 

_He takes a deep breath._

CD: We need to establish new priorities — as of now, we don't know how long this mission is going to take. I know we all signed on for two months, but we need to face the possibility that it's going to take longer. A lot longer. 

BB: Well. At least we're going to get some really interesting data out of this. 

MB: I guess I did say I wanted an adventure. 

TT: Fuckit, me and Lup ain't anywhere else to go, anyway.

_LT whispers to TT._

LT: Thank the gods we insisted on coming together. 

TT: Yeah. Can you imagine if — 

_TT looks away._

MH: Seconding that. You've got Merle for as long as you need him, I guess. Not like we can go back. 

LN: The only way out is through. 

LT: Is that a quote? 

LN: Probably. 

_Transcriber's note: I don't remember what I'm quoting, and I suppose the piece of media no longer exists anymore._

CD: Thank you. 

MB: Thank _you_! 

_CD laughs. It breaks the tension._

LT: Okay, enough with the sappy stuff. What's the plan, m'dudes? 

MB: I think we need to focus on stopping that...Hunger. The black thing. 

MH: The Hunger? 

MB: [Shrugs] I mean, Lup called it a vore octopus. Voroctopus? 

CD: ...Let's just stick with "The Hunger." 

LN: I like it. 

BB: It's very, uh, dramatic. 

MH: It did vore our planet. I'd say dramatic is about right. 

_CD shakes his head._

CD: Listen, guys. You were all picked because you were the best people for this mission. And I know we're in kind of a high stress situation right now, to put it likely. But we have to stay focused. 

_Transcriber's note: I can't tell if he's praising us or backhandedly chastising us. Maybe both?_

MH: Sorry. 

_MH does not sound sorry._

LT: Magnus is right, though. I think our first priority is finding out where we are, then figuring out what attacked us, and then getting our planet back. 

MB: Or destroying the Hunger. 

LT: Yeah, or that. 

BB: I suppose that depends on what it is. 

CD: Right. 

_He claps his hands together decisively._

CD: Okay! Lucretia, make sure to get this all down verbatim. 

LN: Of course. 

CD: Our long-term mission goals are to research, contain, or destroy, whatever enveloped our planar system. Our secondary goals are to figure out where we are, and why this happened. These goals are a moving target — as we learn more about what's happening and where we are, our mission objectives will change. In the short term, we need to strengthen our security onboard, do minor repairs, plan our descent toward the new planet and figure out what we're looking at when we touch down. Does this sound about right? 

_General nods of assent._

CD: Great. I think we can call this meeting over, for now. Everyone's got their jobs, for the time being. We're going to be doing daily debriefings for the next few days until we land, alright? 17:00 ship's time, on the dot. 

_More nods, punctuated by grumbling. Meetings are time consuming._

TT: Hey Cap, can we make these like, dinner meetings? And later? That would be so much better than like, normal meetings. 

LT: We'll make dinner if we don't have to have separate meetings, if that sweetens the deal a bit? 

MB: Team dinner! Nice! 

MH: The two of you can cook? 

TT: [Scoffs] He asks, _can we cook._

CD: Well... 

MB: C'mon, please? 

CD: Alright. Team dinner and meeting, 19:00 ship's time. Every day until we land. 

TT: Nice nice nice! 

_Transcriber's note: This is going to make taking notes so much harder..._

BB: Are we done, then? Because I want to go check on some stuff. 

LN: I think so. Captain?

CD: Yup. Team meeting officially over. We'll reconvene tomorrow. 

_LN closes her notebook._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one or two more chapters, then we're done!  
> thanks for reading <3 lemme know what you thought <3


	3. After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angus finds a journal.

Angus doesn't _mean_ to go snooping, this time. It's just that, well, that piece of carving on the Director's desk is awfully weirdly shaped, and it's a little bit lighter than the rest of the wood, and it makes Angus curious. So he presses on it, and it indents. Nothing happens. But, oh! There's a second carving with the same discoloration on the opposite side of the desk, and a third, and a fourth. He tries pressing them in succession. Nothing happens. And then he thinks for a moment, and realizes that oh, the carvings would be the shape of a spiral if put together correctly! He tries a new pattern, and that seems to do it. 

With a cheerful click, a drawer unlatches and pops out the side of the desk. It was quite nicely hidden, Angus thinks, and eagerly opens it up all the way. 

Inside is a few pieces of jewelry, a patch that says IPRE, and four journals. They're all blue — the same shade of blue as the Director's robes. Angus grins, looks around to make sure nobody is watching, and then picks up the first. It never occurs to him not to. 

He takes the journal with him to the big squashy armchair in the corner of the Director's office, the one that Davenport sometimes sits in during meetings, the one that Angus likes to read in. Angus curls up on the seat and cracks open the book. It's a little dusty, like nobody has opened it in a long time. But the spine is cracked, and the pages are dog-eared. It's completely handwritten. 

As Angus reads, he realizes that there are parts of the journal that just static over when he tries to read them, great big bits that just don't register in his mind. All the names are staticked out. He wonders how the Director managed that, and what she's trying to hide. But there are parts he can read, too, just bits of people arguing or laughing or teasing each other. The transcriber seems like she or he is very fond of the rest of the speakers, and grows fonder as the journal progresses. It reads like an incomplete adventure novel told through meeting transcripts. For a while Angus forgets to put the pieces together and just enjoys the narrative. 

Some of the speakers' speech patterns seem familiar, but he can't quite place them to anyone that would make sense. Hm. 

Angus wonders what mission and organization this journal is from. Maybe the precursor to the Bureau? The Director's old enough to have been part of a few secret organizations, he guesses. 

Preoccupied by reading, Angus doesn't notice someone enter the room until a hand plucks the journal out of his fingers. Angus gasps. He looks up. Oh. It's the Director, frowning down at him with the journal gripped tightly in her arms. She seems shaken.

"Angus McDonald! Where did you get this?" The Director looks furious. 

Angus shrinks back. "In your desk, Ma'am." 

"And why were you looking in my desk?!" 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," he says. He's scared, a little bit. Maybe more than a little bit. The Director notices him quailing under her gaze, and draws back. She turns around to put the journal back in her desk. 

"He's only ten, he's just a boy," she mutters to herself. Angus thinks that she must assume he can't hear her. She turns back to him, and says in a more measured voice, 

"Angus. Do you know why taking my journals was wrong?" 

"It's your private property, ma'am," he says softly, and then continues, slightly more forcefully, "But Taako says it's not private property if you can get to it on your own!" 

The Director rubs her eyes. 

"You really shouldn't be listening to Taako about anything that's not magic." 

"Why not?" 

"He can be very stupid sometimes. And he's not the best role model." 

"Oh." 

"Angus, why did you look in my desk?" 

"I didn't mean to, really," he mumbles. "I saw the weird carvings and I pressed them, and then the drawer opened, and then I _had_ to read the books that I found. I'm a _detective,_ ma'am." 

The Director sighs. She seems resigned. "What am I going to do with you?" 

Angus shrugs. "You could double-employ me?" It gets him the laugh he was hoping for. He grins, and presses his advantage. 

"Ma'am, why is so much of this staticked out?" 

"There's some very classified information in there. What were you able to read?" 

"But I drank the voidfish ichor?" 

"Angus." 

"Um, not much, ma'am. Just the parts where people were arguing, or talking about what they were going to do. All the names were staticked out. I promise I didn't learn anything that much."

"Mm. Please don't go snooping around in my office again, Angus." 

"Okay," Angus says, and resolves to investigate this second mystery as soon as the Director stops keeping an eye on him. She sighs. 

"There's a lot of classified information in here." 

"Okay," Angus hesitates. His need for information wins over his fear. "Um. Madame Director?" 

"Yes, Angus?" 

"Did you write the journals?" 

"...Yes, when I was much younger." 

"Oh." Angus pauses. "Ma'am? Who were the people in the journal?" 

"Old friends, Angus." The Director looks very sad. "Just old friends, who I took a long trip with, many years ago." 

"Oh. Do you miss them? I miss my friends back home sometimes" 

She pauses. 

"I used to. A lot. Not so much, anymore." She looks briefly happier, and then sad again. "Did you have many friends, back home?" 

Angus shrugs. "Only a few. I like being here better." He's not lying — the Moonbase is so much more interesting than the surface, and since his grandfather died, there's nobody who can take care of him. And his friends were few and far between. He has a house, and the bank doled him out a very generous allowance from his inheritance, but he's ten years old and doesn't have a family. The moonbase is better. 

He gets magic lessons from Taako, and punching lessons from Carey and Killian, and Magnus showed him how to whittle the other day! It's all awfully fun. And he gets to read all of the bureau's information and try and put together where the next relic might be, which is like a great big puzzle mystery game. And the Director trusts him enough (likes him enough) to let him sit alone in the big chair in her office and read – although maybe she won't trust him so much anymore, whoops. 

The Director smoothes Angus's hair, and then pins him with a stern glare. He shrinks a little, but stands his ground. 

"I'd appreciate it if you could keep what you've learned quiet. It wouldn't be particularly good for my reputation if this got out there." 

Angus puffs out his chest. 

"Don't worry, ma'am! I'm very good at keeping secrets. Detectives have to be." 

The Director smiles, bends down and gives Angus a hug. It's very warm, and very pleasant. The Director doesn't seem like someone who gives a lot of hugs, but she sure does give a first-rate one. Angus hugs her back. He doesn't get many hugs. 

"Thank you, Angus." 

"Your friends seem like they were very interesting people, ma'am." 

The Director laughs. She has a very nice laugh. 

"They were! They were the best."

"Will you see them again?" 

"I hope so," the Director says. "I really do hope so." 

"I hope so too!" Angus says. He's being honest. He really hopes that the Director gets to see her friends again — she seemed to really care about them, in her journal. And she's someone who could use more people who care about her, Angus thinks. She seems very stressed and very sad, sometimes. 

"Thank you," the Director says. "Now please get out of my office, Angus." Angus laughs. 

"Okay! I'm going to go see what the sirs are doing." 

She smiles. 

"Don't let the boys push you around too much." 

"I won't," Angus says, "Love you, bye!" and runs out of the Director's office, grateful to have escaped without a harsher scolding — and with a new mystery to tease apart, too!

 ___

He runs around a corner and nearly bowls Davenport over. The gnome dexterously avoids falling, but it's a near miss. 

"Sorry Davenport," Angus says. The gnome looks annoyed, and dusts off his sleeves, despite not having fallen. 

"Davenport!" 

"I didn't mean it," Angus says, "I'll watch where I'm going next time." Davenport waggles a finger at him, and ruffles Angus's hair. It's odd, getting your hair ruffled by someone your own height. 

"Davenport." 

"Okay," Angus says, "Thanks, I think?" 

As soon as Davenport is out of sight, he picks up his pace again. He doesn't want to be around when Davenport tells the Director what he did!

___ 

Despite his near mishap with the gnome, Angus runs all the way to Taako and Merle and Magnus's apartment, through the corridors and across the lawn and down the elevator. The door is unlocked, so he runs in and is greeted by the sight of two out of the three inhabitants in the living room. Magnus is playing some sort of fantasy video game that involves a lot of bursts of lights on the fantasy television, and Taako is leaned over the couch and critiquing. They both turn as Angus rushes in. 

"Hey kiddo, what the fuck are you running from, m'dude?" Taako catches Angus around the waist with a mage hand effortlessly, and Angus nearly trips. The mage hand steadies him, and he grins up at the elf. The door closes behind him.

"I just got in trouble with the Director and then ran over Davenport and so now I'm hiding, I think!" Angus says breathlessly. Magnus sticks his hand up for a fistbump. 

"Right on, little guy! Stick it to the man!" 

"But she's your boss!" Angus returns the fistbump enthusiastically. 

"Ango. Your boss is _always_ the man," Magnus says, seriously. 

"Oh, okay," Angus says. "Can I hide here for a bit?" 

"Don't let me tell you what to do," Taako says with an exaggerated disaffectedness. 

"Sure," Magnus says. "You wanna play fantasy video games?" 

"Thanks!" Angus sits down next to Magnus on the couch. Magnus presses a series of buttons on his fantasy video game controller and passes it to Angus. "And okay, I've never played these before?" 

"Never? Gee, someone's been deprived of a childhood," Taako says, and sits down on the other side of Angus. "Pass me a controller, dingus." Magnus obligingly picks up another controller and gives it to Taako, before picking up a third for himself. 

"What'd you do to get in trouble, kid?" 

"I looked at the Director's private journals," Angus admits. Taako whistles. "Gee, no wonder she was pissed. Hey, you learn any juicy deets you want to share with your good friends and mentors who are showing you the wonders of fantasy video games?" 

Angus thinks about the expression on the Director's face when she was talking about her friends. 

"No, not really," Angus says. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again as per usual re: me, there's a bit of [meta/liner notes](http://anonymousalchemist.tumblr.com/post/163786857382/liner-notes-team-meeting-year-0) up on my [tumblr](http://anonymousalchemist.tumblr.com/), so check that out if that's something you want in your life!
> 
> also notes to everyone: ive got limited internet rn so if i take a while to respond to comments, that's the reason why — i've been saving it for posting stuff, haha. promise i'll get to everything, probs.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! for more of this, whatever this is, im @[anonymousalchemist](http://anonymousalchemist.tumblr.com/). let me know whatchu thought <3


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